Honduran Man Charged in Miami Serial Rapes

Reynaldo Elias Rapalo, 32, was scheduled to appear by a video conference in court Sunday on multiple counts of sexual battery on a victim age 11 or younger, burglary with assault, aggravated stalking and other charges related to the attacks. He was being held without bond at Miami-Dade County jail.

Rapalo, a Honduran citizen in Miami on an expired visa, was taken into custody Friday night and his DNA sample matched forensic evidence taken from the rape scenes, Miami Police Chief John Timoney said Saturday. His fingerprints also matched at least one scene and an eyewitness identified him as the rapist.

DNA evidence tied him to seven rapes of victims between the ages of 11 and 79 since September 2002, including three young girls who were attacked in the span of four weeks in May and June. The 11-year-old girl was raped in June just after she arrived home from school.

Rapalo had not been appointed a public defender as of Sunday.

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